October 25, Senate Committee on Armed Services House Committee on Armed Services. Washington, DC Washington, DC 20515

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1 The Honorable John McCain The Honorable Mac Thornberry Chairman Chairman Senate Committee on Armed Services House Committee on Armed Services Russell Senate Building, Room Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC Washington, DC The Honorable Jack Reed The Honorable Adam Smith Ranking Member Ranking Member Senate Committee on Armed Services House Committee on Armed Services Russell Senate Building, Room Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC Washington, DC Dear Chairmen McCain and Thornberry and Ranking Members Reed and Smith: The undersigned organizations join with the 180 U.S. Representatives and 54 U.S. Senators who recently wrote to you requesting the removal of language included in the Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would have a detrimental impact on research at the Congressionally-Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) at the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Specifically, Sections 733, 891, 892, and 893 of the FY2018 NDAA, as approved by the Senate, would individually and collectively have the effect of restricting, if not outright prohibiting, CDMRP research on diseases and disorders that affect our nation s men and women who serve or have served in the U.S. Armed Services. These provisions would restrict the types of research that could be funded, and add burdensome contracting and auditing requirements designed for large weapons system contracts. Moreover, one of these provisions (Section 733) affects all medical research at DoD, not just the CDMRP. These provisions will collectively have a significant impact on military readiness, as attested to by the Department of Defense. In a recent memorandum, the U.S. Army s Medical Research and Materiel Command stated that: This language will impact force readiness and medical providers readiness. Impacts on military medical training programs will negatively affect the readiness of our military health care providers. We specifically ask that Sections 733, 891, 892, and 893 of the FY2018 Senate NDAA be excluded from any final FY2018 NDAA conference report and/or legislation. It is important to note that not one of these provisions was included as part of the Housepassed FY2018 NDAA. Furthermore, an amendment that would have nullified these provisions was denied a vote on the Senate floor, despite being cosponsored by a majority of the U.S. Senate.

2 Page 2 We urge you to listen to the concerns of your Republican and Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate, who have been hearing from constituents across the country about the dangers that these provision pose to the continued investment in these programs. The strong level of bipartisan Congressional support for the defense health research programs is a beacon of hope to both military and non-military families who must cope with these diseases and disorders. Please honor their concerns by ensuring that these four sections are not included in the final NDAA conference agreement. We appreciate your prompt and urgent consideration of our request. Sincerely, AcademyHealth Action to Cure Kidney Cancer Adult Congenital Heart Association ALS Association American Academy of Ophthalmology American Association for Cancer Research American Association of Cancer Institutes American Brain Tumor Association American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists American Liver Foundation American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy American Thoracic Society American Urological Association Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation Arthritis Foundation Association of American Cancer Institutes Association of American Universities Association of Public and Land-grant Universities Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America Autism Speaks Beyond Celiac Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network Case Western Reserve University Children s National Health System Children s Heart Foundation Children s Tumor Foundation Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation

3 Page 3 Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy Coalition for National Security Research (CNSR) Critical Mass: The Young Adult Cancer Alliance CureHHT Debbie s Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer debra of America Digestive Disease National Coalition Dystonia Medical Research Foundation Epilepsy Foundation Fight Colorectal Cancer FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered Foundation to Eradicate Duchenne GBS CIDP Foundation International Global Health Technologies Coalition HIV Medicine Association Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah Hydrocephalus Association Indiana University Infectious Diseases Society of America International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders International Myeloma Foundation Interstitial Cystitis Association Johns Hopkins University Kidney Cancer Action Network Kidney Cancer Association Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Littlest Tumor Foundation Lung Cancer Alliance LUNGevity Lupus Foundation of America Lupus Research Alliance Lymphoma Research Foundation Malaria No More Malecare Marfan Foundation Melanoma Research Foundation METAvivor Research and Support The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson s Research

4 Page 4 Muscular Dystrophy Association National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research National Alliance of State Prostate Cancer Coalitions National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women s Health National Brain Tumor Society National Fragile X Foundation National Kidney Foundation National Multiple Sclerosis Society NephCure Kidney International Neurofibromatosis Midwest Neurofibromatosis Network Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy Penn State University Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Foundation Princeton University Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium Prostate Cancer Foundation Prostate Health Education Network Pulmonary Hypertension Association Research!America Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation Scleroderma Foundation Sergeant Sullivan Circle Sleep Research Society Society of Gynecologic Oncology Susan G. Komen Texas Neurofibromatosis Foundation Theresa's Research Foundation Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance University of Central Florida University of Iowa University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center University of Pittsburgh U.S. Hereditary Angioedema Association Us TOO Prostate Cancer Education & Support Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University Medical Center

5 Page 5 Veterans for Common Sense The Veterans Health Council Vietnam Veterans of America Wayne State University Weill Cornell Medicine ZERO-The End of Prostate Cancer Enclosures: 1) House Letter to Chairs and Ranking Members, House and Senate Armed Services Committees, October 24, ) Senate Letter to Chairs and Ranking Members, House and Senate Armed Services Committees, October 10, 2017 cc: House and Senate Conferees to the fiscal year 2018, National Defense Authorization Act